Ten Core Values Drive Zappos

'Culture is the driver for our success.'

“Culture is the driver for our success,” said Jon Wolske, culture evangelist for Zappos Insights—a department within the Zappos family of companies which shares the Zappos culture with the world.

Zappos is known primarily as an online shoe and clothing retailer, but it’s really a service company that happens to sell shoes and other items, explained Wolske, who addressed the 2014 CUNA CFO Council Conference in May.

“Culture defines who you are, not what you do,” Wolske said. “It’s all about the attitudes, values, and behaviors that characterize your company. You need to define the behavior that makes your culture. We want core values we can coach, and that we’re willing to hire and fire on.”

“This can be a hard sell to some executives,” Wolske conceded. “But weirdness just shows that we’re different people. We know you’ll work hard—but not too hard.”

One way Zappos creates fun is by hosting staff parades every so oft en to commemorate certain events—such as the anniversary of Woodstock, where staff marched through the Zappos headquarters blasting ’60s-era music.

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